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contents eDITORIAL Pastor Dr. John K. Mathew
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LET THERE BE LIGHT
“Let there be light” Relevance of light in the Creation
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Light that Shines in the Darkness: A Biblical Theology of Light
Rev. Philip P. Sam
Light and Darkness Biblical Perspective Pastor K. A. John
Jesus is the Light of the World Pastor Kris A. Jackson
Light and The word of God Dr. K. P. Sam
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Pastor Dr. k. g. Jose
Dr. Shaibu Abraham
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Counseling Corner Pastor Saju Joseph
Vol. 12 Issue No. 1&2 January/February 2018
A magazine that will enrich and renew your spiritual life and give Christian perspective on current events. e-mail : revivemegod@gmail.com igotoibc@gmail.com visit us : www.revivemegod.org CHAIRMAN PASTOR Dr. T. VALSON ABRAHAM MEMBERS BRO. JACOB THOMAS BRO. SUNNY KODUMTHARA EDITOR PASTOR DR. JOHN K. MATHEW ADMINISTRATIVE EDITOR PASTOR SAJU JOSEPH ASSOCIATE EDITOR MRS. STARLA LUKOSE
QUIZ
MANAGER PASTOR T. J. ABRAHAM CONTRIBUTING WRITERS JUNE THOMAS ANN ABRAHAM PUBLISHER & PRINTER Lt. Col. V. I. LUKE (Retd.) HEBRON, KUMBANAD, PATHANAMTHITTA, KERALA for K. E. Abraham Foundation PRINTED AT VIANI PRINTINGS, LISSIE JN., ERNAKULAM, KERALA PLACE OF PUBLICATION KUMBANAD, PATHANAMTHITTA, KERALA - 689 547 DESIGN Beam Design S2dio Ph: 93870 73135 beamfine@gmail.com
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The views and ideas expressed in each article are those of the writer. - Editor
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Letters
Isaiah say that those living in darkness have seen a great light. This light has been interpreted as Jesus Christ the Great Light came into the world. The child of hope will be on the throne with divine qualities. He is described as `Wonderful Counselor’,` Mighty God’, `Everlasting Father’, and `Prince of Peace’. All these qualities were found in Jesus who was born in Bethlehem and lived and ministered in Palestine. My prayer is that God may help all readers to strengthen their faith in Jesus, who is the living God! Noby John, Kanpur
Preparation for the Messiah
Christmas and Second Coming Christ Dear Editor, The Editorial by Dr. John K. Mathew brings to light a very important aspect of Christmas. We have to understand the relationship between the first coming and second coming of Jesus Christ. Many, who are celebrating the first coming of Jesus thru Christmas, are least aware of His second coming. There is a drastic difference between the "Christmas Christ" and the Second Coming Christ. The first time He came, He came veiled in the form of a child. The next time He comes, which we believe will be soon, He will come unveiled, and it will be immediately clear to the entire world just who He really is. May God enable us to communicate effectively the truth of the Second Coming of Christ during this Christmas Season. Joy Mathew, Thirunelveli
O.T. Prophesies on Messiah
Dear revive, I appreciate revive for the coordination in the articles on the birth of Christ. All writers have written exhaustively on different angles of Christmas . Rev. Dr. Gheevarughese Mathew brought out well how the Old Testament prophesies points to Jesus. For example, we hear
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Dear Editor, God, in His unique and wonderful way prepared this world for the coming of Jesus to this earth - which Rev. Binoy Eapen in his article describes very clearly. The Roman government policies, Greek language and culture, the condition of the Jews were all preparation for the coming of Messiah as Apostle Paul said Jesus "was born in the fullness of time". As a result of the cruelty of rulers people lost their unity and peace of mind. Hence they were waiting for a savior who could save them from their wretched political situation. It was at this most appropriate time that Jesus came as Messiah or Savior for the salvation of mankind. Thank God for His most wonderful act! George Mathew, Houston
Relevance of Christmas time Dear Editor, Though we don’t engage in unbiblical celebrations of Christmas, the season must be seen as an appropriate time for us to present Jesus and His gospel to those who have not experienced His Love. Rev.Gibson Joy brings to us invaluable opportunities to talk about the true meaning of Christmas. There is a general sense of curiosity surrounding the story of Christmas and the circumstances of Christ’s birth. Christmas time is also when Church
attendance peaks. Whatever problems people have with Christianity, they don’t seem to have any with Jesus at all. Most will readily acknowledge the goodness of the man, the prophetic and healing powers he possessed and the wisdom of his teaching. Hope that all readers of revive will make use of this season for this purpose. William Godley, Bangalore
No one, except Jesus! Dear Editor, Dr. Benjamin George writes a very important Biblical truth in his article published in the month of December. Many people believe that God will simply forgive their sins just for the asking! But it would be injustice on the part of a just God to simply forgive us our sins because we merely asked for it! And it will be ignorance on our part to blindly believe that a God who is far more righteous than all earthly judges will forgive our crimes without us having to pay the penalty. No other religious leader however great, except Jesus Christ, has died for man’s sin! Because Jesus died on the cross for the sin of the world, He can pardon all who ask Him for the forgiveness of their sins. When anyone acknowledges Jesus as their Savior and Lord and commits themselves to follow Him daily, He grants them salvation from sin and eternal life. May God help us to believe this consistently and also share this with others shamelessly! Tim Roys, Ireland
Very Relevant Issues Dear Editor, Want to specially thank the editorial team of revive magazine for the relevant themes selected all through the past year!. I understand that all the articles are well prepared by scholars who are well qualified in their respective areas. The design, layout and the pictures are attractive and in good taste. May God continue to make revive a blessing for many like me! Appreciate all who work behind the scenes to make this ministry a blessing to many! Ruhamma Joseph, Kolkatta
renewing and enriching life
Pastor Dr. John K. Mathew
Macbeth is a play written by William Shakespeare. It was written between 1603 and
YOU ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
1607, during the reign of King James 1, of Scotland. The first characters we see in the play are the three witches. They talk to each other in a mysterious way and agree to meet with Macbeth on the heath. This scene includes the famous line " fair is foul and foul is fair." As a result of that the brave Scottish general, Macbeth receives a prophecy from the trio witches that one day he will become king of Scotland. Consumed by ambition and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth kills the king Duncan and takes the Scottish throne for himself. He then wrecked with guilt and paranoia. When a criminal sets out to do a crime, he does not welcome the light. He desires that the shadows be as black as possible. Lady Macbeth, the one who planned the murder was not different either. She uttered: "Come, thick night, And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell, That my keen knife see not the wound it makes, Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark To cry, 'Hold, hold,'! The world in which we live loves night rather than light. The Scripture says, "This is the verdict, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness than light because their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed" (John 3:19,20). Who is the light of the world? Our Lord Jesus Christ said,' I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life' (John 8:12). It is so amazing that He couples our names with His own that He says, " You are the light of the world" (Matt.5:14). Of course, there is a vast difference between his light and ours. Our Lord is Light in himself!. So, please remember we are not self-shining! Apart from Christ, we cannot shine. We are supposed to reflect Christ's light through our lives. How is it? Often times with simple means. A young lad was scheduled for surgery and on the operation table the boy asked, 'Doctor what are you going to do with me'? ‘Dear son, we are going to put you to sleep,’ the doctor replied. The boy who had a habit of praying before going to sleep asked the doctor permission to offer his prayer. The boy prayed a beautiful prayer. He prayed for the doctor and the nurses. The doctor who was a skeptic was so surprised because it was his first experience. The surgery was a success. That day the doctor returned home
So, please
remember we are not selfshining! Apart from Christ, we cannot shine. We are supposed to reflect Christ's light through our lives.
as a new creation! Before dinner, he requested all family members to gather for family prayer. They read the Bible for the first time in the family, which made all the family members happy. Then he explained the reason for his change! The simple prayer of a young lad. Humble actions sometimes will bring a bumper result. Forget not, ' You are the light of the world' (Matt.5:14). January/February 2019
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Rev. Philip P. Sam Faculty, India Bible College and Seminary, Kumbanad
“ Let there be light ” Relevance of light in the Creation “Let there be light”
(Genesis 3:3). Those were the first recorded utterance of God in the Bible. Consider the scenario of a dark room where you are supposed to do some work. As you enter the room, the first thing you do is to put on the lights. In the absence of light you are not able to see anything in the room and you are clueless about what to do. However as the lights appear, you are able to see the things as it is and are able to get into your work and see your work done. When God created light, God was doing something similar, in that he was calling for light in the then dark, formless and void earth (Genesis 1:2). Light and darkness are common metaphors in the Bible representing goodness and evil. Light is used as a symbol which describes goodness, righteousness and the
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presence of God. Whereas darkness is used to represent all that is evil and ungodly. Light is used as opposite of darkness and all that it represents. Do the words of God, “Let there be light” have a greater significance than the physical creation of light? What did the creation of light signify? What relevance can we draw out from the creation of light?
What is the creation account all about? Much of our understanding of the creation narrative depends upon how we view these (Genesis 1) texts. Is the creation account a scientific description? Does it give a philosophical or logical understanding of how things began? Is it a chronological account? Or is it a theological account of creation by God that describes God as the beginning of all things, who brought out everything into existence by His word? As we study the book of Genesis as part of the Pentateuch, we can understand that the book is actually tracing the origin, place and identity of Israel in the Universe. The book is actually interested in the beginning of Israel and in this attempt; it traces the beginning of Israel in the existence of God and his creative word. If we understand that the creation is more a theological account than a scientific account then the words “let there be light” has much more significance than the physical aspects of the creation of light. Keeping this theological purpose of the creation account let us study the creation of light first as a physical entity, as imagery and finally drawing out the significance of the creation of light and its relevance.
A. Creation of Light as a Physical entity When God created light, God was creating light as a physical entity as something that illuminates reality. Some of the physical aspects of light as an illuminating agency are very meaningful for us to note. i. Light makes reality visible The physical entity called light could be understood as something that illuminates and makes things visible. Whereas darkness hides and covers up reality, light is something that brings reality into visibility. In this sense God created light as a revealing agent. ii. Light makes reality colorful and gives it a form Light is also the physical entity that gives color and appearance to the reality in the world. Darkness makes our world devoid of all color; however light is that physical element that brings color to our world. iii. Light removes darkness The word light as used in the Bible always signifies the removal of darkness. When God created light and saw that it was good, He separated light from the darkness. A little light of a small lamp is enough to remove the darkness in a room. On the other hand, darkness (how much ever it is…) can never extinguish light.
B. Creation of Light as imagery The physical light that God created represents the nature and the goodness of God in the Bible. We see from the overall usage of the word in the Bible, that the word “light” almost always signified “goodness, righteousness” and ultimately the “divine life” whereas darkness represented what is evil and unrighteousness. The Biblical writers used the imagery of light to display the goodness of God and the character of life that God intends for each of us. This symbolic aspect of light as a metaphor for God’s goodness is reflected through both the Old and New Testaments. Light symbolizes the presence and life from God (Psalms 27:1) -The word “light” (Hebrew “Aur” and Greek “Phos”) is used metaphorically for life (as in Psalms 56:13), salvation (Isaiah 9:2), the commandments (Proverbs 6:23) and the divine presence of God (Exodus 10:23).
Light is als o us e d as a resonating metaphor for God, as is evident in the words of John, “God is light and in Him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). In his gospel also, John presents Jesus as the true light (John 1:9). Of all the New Testament writers John uses the word light most frequently to present Jesus Christ. Light is very
The physical
light that God created represents the nature and the goodness of God in the Bible. We see from the overall usage of the word in the Bible, that the word “light” almost always signified “goodness, righteousness” and ultimately the “divine life” whereas darkness represented what is evil and unrighteousness. much connected with life. John also says that the one who has come into the light of Jesus has come into eternal life (John 1:5). Apostle Paul resonates the creation of light in his description about the illumination of our hearts, “For God, who said, let light shine out of darkness, ‘make His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). January/February 2019
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The writer of Revelation finally uses the word light one last time to describe the nature of life in the heavenly city. In this most beautiful imagery of the heavenly city, the Lamb, (the son of God) is portrayed as the light of the city. “The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light.” (Revelations 21:23).This image of the Lamb as the light of the city has to be
In response
to the darkness that was over the surface of the deep, God spoke and light came into being. In the creation of light, God was not only creating the physical entity called light but also revealing his own character of goodness over and against the character of darkness.
understood as the culmination of all that the Old and New Testament was pointing to in its usage of the word “light”.
C. Significance of light in Creation In the light of this Biblical understanding, what do the phrase “let there be light” signify?A few implications stand out from our discussion about the creation of light.
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Firstly, God was creating light as an illuminating agent: In the first day, God was creating the physical entity or element called light as something that illuminates reality. It was a physical creation of something that dispels darkness and gives color to all the existence. Light as a physical entity was a necessary pre-condition for any good work to begin. Secondly, God was creating light as a sign of order over chaos and goodness over evil: In the first act of creation, God was revealing His creative power and absolute control over chaos and darkness that existed in the universe before he began to create anything. In response to the darkness that was over the surface of the deep, God spoke and light came into being. In the creation of light, God was not only creating the physical entity called light but also revealing his own character of goodness over and against the character of darkness. Thirdly, since God is light, the creation of light was in fact the communication of his presence and his character of goodness into the creation.The Biblical usage of the word light predominantly reflects the character and presence of God. It represents goodness and the divine quality of life. So in the creation of light, God was actually breathing out his life and character into existence in His creation. Fourthly, the words of God, “Let there be light” reflect the will of God that He intends supreme good for his creation. God was going to begin his creative work of making a beautiful world; the creation of light was just the beginning of his work. In Genesis 1:2 we read that darkness was upon the face of the earth. In this world of darkness God spoke, “let there be light” and in those words we can see the heart of what God intended for his creation. It is God’s will that His goodness be ultimately revealed in the creation. God wills that the world be filled with the light of God’s goodness. It is the will of God that life in the world be transparent and pure like the rays of light.
D. Relevance of the creation of light for us today What is the relevance of the creation of light? How are words “Let there be light” relevant for us today? 1. The words of God, “let there be light” means that God wants the world to be illuminated, transparent and pure. God does not want the world to be in disorder and darkness.It means that the will of God is that goodness represented by light should overcome darkness and its works of unrighteousness. 2. The words of Apostle Paul are worth quoting here, “For God, who said, Let light shine out of darkness, ‘make his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). The words of God, “Let there be light” must be seen to have an extended meaning that, God intends to fill the heart of every person with the light of the knowledge of God in the face of Christ. Ultimately God wants the world to be filled with the light of His knowledge. 3. If the words of God, “Let there be light” means that God’s will is for light to cover the whole earth then it also means that we his disciples have a very significant role in shining as light for his glory. Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden… Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14). The desire of Jesus is that we must shine for the glory of God. “Let there be light” -the will of God is proclaimed in these words, the will to bring goodness, righteousness, life and meaning into the creation. We as light of the world have a significant role in letting the light of God shine through us. God wants to see the world as a place filled with purity, truth and life abundant. LET THERE BE LIGHT.
renewing and enriching life
Pastor K. A. John Faculty, India Bible College and Seminary, Kumbanad
Light and Darkness: Biblical Perspective
The Bible uses the words light and darkness in different meanings. They are natural phenomena and used in symbolic or metaphorical meanings The contrast of light and darkness is common in the Bible, contrast between good and evil, God and evil forces, believers and unbelievers In the spiritual realm, light represents life. God is light, and He gives life. On the other hand darkness represents Satan the Devil. He is "the prince of darkness. Darkness evokes everything that is anti-God: the wicked (Prov. 2:13), judgment (Exod. 10:21), death (Psalm 88:12). While light is used metaphorically for life (Psalm 56:13), salvation (Isa. 9:2), the commandments (Prov. 6:23), and the divine presence of God (Exod. 10:23) January/February 2019
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The importance of light and darkness is dramatically presented in the opening sentences of the biblical record. In response to the darkness that was over the surface of the deep (Gen. 1:2), God spoke and light came into being. Light is the first of the Creator's works, manifesting the divine operation in a world that is darkness and chaos. In the first creative act, "God saw that the light was good" (Gen. 1:3).
Darkness
is used figuratively in the bible to characterize those people that do not follow God or have fallen away from His righteousness. God wants us to be righteous and obedient to His word. He wants us to stay out of the darkness and follow Him. Throughout the Bible light is regularly associated with God and his word, with salvation, with goodness, with truth, with life. Light is the revelation of God's love in Jesus Christ and the penetration of that love into lives darkened by sin (1 John 1:5-7). Jesus declares that he is "the light of the world" (John 8:12; 9:5). Jesus is the incarnate Word of God, who has come as the light that enlightens all people (John 1:4-14), so that those believing in him will no longer be in darkness (12:46).
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Light possesses powers essential to true life. Hence "to be in the light" means simply "to live" both life eternal and life temporal. The one who has come into the light of Jesus Christ is brought into the ethical life characterized by light (1 Thess. 5:5; 1 Peter 2:9). The godly person enjoys the light of life in the present age (1 Jn. 2:10). Paul intentionally contrasts the old life in darkness with new life in the light in Christ Jesus (Eph. 4:17-24). Although Satan can disguise himself as "an angel of light, " Christians live in the true light of salvation, laying aside the deeds of darkness and putting on the protective "armor of light" (Rom. 13:12). The revealed will of God provides light to the heart, soul, and mind of humanity, providing guidance in a dark world (Psalm 19:7-10; Psalms 119:105 Psalms 119:130). A stark contrast will characterize the old life and the new: "For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true" (Eph. 5:8-9). The truly Christian life is a life of light. What does Jesus mean by light? Jesus also calls Himself "the light of the world." John calls Him "the life that is the light of men," "the light that shines in the darkness" (John 1:4-5). The light in us is His light, the indwelling Christ, the Holy Spirit within us. The apostle Paul speaks of "the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ" (2 Corinthians 4:4). We have that light shining through our lives if our actions reflect the nature of Christ-His love, compassion, and forgiveness. His light shines through our attitudes, words, and deeds. The New Testament describes the future of the ungodly in terms of eschatological darkness, symbolizing perdition, they equally describe the future glory for believers in terms of light. In the New Jerusalem there will be no more night (Rev. 22:5), and the city will not need the sun, moon, or created light to shine on it, "for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light" (Rev. 21:23-24). The prophetic word of God is what brings hope of the light yet to come, and Peter provides an appropriate admonition: "You will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in you hearts" (2 Peter 1:19). At the future appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ all darkness will be dispelled, and believers will walk in purity, peace, and joy in the light of the living God. Darkness is used figuratively in the bible to characterize those people that do not follow God or have fallen away from His righteousness. God wants us to be righteous and obedient to His word. He wants us to stay out of the darkness and follow Him Darkness in in the bible connotes everything that is anti-God: the wicked, judgment (Exo. 10:21; Matt 25:30), and death (Psalm 88:12). God also uses darkness to represent His divine judgment. Mathew 8:12 But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.� The biblical view of darkness and light offers a unique contrast. There is no thought that darkness is equal in power to God's light.The absolute, sovereign God rules over the darkness and the powers of evil, God knows the darkness, He knows where it is (Job 34:22) and what it contains (Dan. 2:22). Finally, God rules over the darkness eschatologically. The time of God's ultimate judgment, the day of the Lord, is portrayed as a day of darkness (Joel 2:2; Matt 24:29; Rev. 6:12-17). Final Darkness describe the future of the ungodly in terms of eschatological darkness, symbolizing perdition (1 Sam. 2:9; Matt. 22:13; Jude 12-13). "Hell" and "pits of darkness" describe the fate of angels who sinned (2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6). But for believers darkness will be dispelled by the presence of the light of the glory of God (Rev. 21:23-24; 22:5). It is only through the light of God in Jesus Christ darkness can be dispelled. It is against this background the emphasis on darkness in the crucifixion scene may be understood. Luke records, "it was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two" (23:44-45). While darkness often accompanies the conception of death in Scripture (cf. Job 10:21-22), darkness at the crucifixion scene
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displays God's displeasure on humankind for crucifying his son. It also indicates God's judgment on evil. But the torn curtain exhibits the opening of salvation to all through the death of God's Son. Light and truth are linked together. Ps.43:3. Eph.5.10. the fruits of light are Goodness, righteousness and truth.Walk in the light is walk in the truth. It is not perfection. It is truthfulness and honesty. He delivered us form the darkness. God has delivered us from the dominion of darkness. Our salvation involves not only forgiveness of sin, but deliverance from the darkness. Not the future deliverance that is going to be in eternity, but something that is already taking place, he has delivered us form the authority of darkness. He has brought to the kingdom of light. We have nothing to do with darkness. The Lord, our God, lights up our darkness” (Ps. 18:28). God does not intend to leave people in darkness, but seeks to light up the darkness of this world. The Christmas story is about God breaking into the darkness with the light. Sin is exposed, death is overcome, brokenness is healed and new life is experienced. As Isaiah described it, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness-on them light has shined.” When God arrives, creation is renewed and people are valued and made whole. Light is going to be the permanent dwelling place of us. So there will not be any dark area in us, we have to make all attempt to get rid of every type of darkness in any area of our life. Our calling is to live in light. Our eternal home is light.
It’s not necessary to blow out your neighbor’s light to let your own shine. M.R. DeHaan
Pastor M.C.Chacko Finished His Race Pastor M. C. Chacko (77) entered eternal rest on Sunday, 23rd December 2018. He was the Founder-President of the IPC, UAE REGION. He was senior pastor and former General Council member of the India Pentecostal Church. The IPC in Abu Dhabi was founded and lead by Pastor M. C. Chacko for close to 50 years. He held a responsible position in the Police Department of Abu Dhabi for 50 years. A visionary and a man with a deep passion, used of the Lord to pioneer, strengthen and form the IPC UAE REGION, Pastor M. C. Chacko - invested his time, resources and energy in serving Christ and His people. Along with his secular job in the police department, this man of God has hosted and helped numerous visiting pastors; gave generously of his God given resources to strengthen the work of God in India. India Bible College and Seminary (IBC) grieves the loss of this dear well wisher and a dear friend of Late Pastor T. S. Abraham, former President of IBC and IPC. Pastor M. C. Chacko is survived by his beloved wife Mrs. Susy Chacko, daughters Dr. Joice Blesson Abraham (Australia), Dr. Elizabeth Joseph (Orlando, USA), Susan Oommen (Oklahoma, USA), son - James Chaco (New Zealand). His eldest son Rev. Abraham Chacko is Faculty and Dean of Admissions at IBC. The community of REVIVE prays for the peace and comfort of this dear family.
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stalls and renew your subscription during
ipc kumbanad convention January/February 2019
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Pastor Kris A. Jackson Teacher and revivalist
Jesus
is the Light of the World To me,
it is as clear as night and day – “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” (Isaiah 8:20). The preacher is called to shed light on his subject. John the Baptist was “a burning and shining light” (John 5:35). There are “greater” lights and “lesser” lights (Genesis 1:16). Five minutes in someone’s presence reveals the wattage of the bulb. I am but a small candle,but my topic is to cast light on Light. The way I see it, the only way to judge light is to ask whether it is permanent. The batteries in the best flashlights go kaput. Thechandelier bulbs in the finest hotels burn out. Policemen write citations for missing headlights and taillights every day. We refer to these as “lights”, in the plural. There is only one “light”, in the singular. It
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shines every morning and keeps earth from turning to ice every night. I’m speaking, of course, of the Son. Yes, there are other luminaries, other lamps that produce light for a season, but their batteries run down, and their wicks burn down to nothing. Then a new light source is sought or invented, filament, halogen, LED, you get the picture. Only one light is self-sustaining and never fades. In the spiritual universe that light is Jesus Christ – “In Him was life; and the life was the light of men” (John 1:4). One early morning a woman, caught in the “very act of adultery”, was yanked from a tent during the Feast of Tabernacles, the feast of booths, and was thrown down by the scribes and Pharisees before Jesus in the Temple courtyard. To be caught in the act means that some religious spy had been peeping through the slit in her tent. The Pharisees weren’t concerned about the sin or the woman, but rather the fine-print of the Mosaic law. They sought to win an argument, not a soul, quizzing Jesus on whether the woman should be stoned to death. You will remember that He wrote words in the sand and the accusers left one-by-one dropping their stones as they departed, “being convicted by their own conscience”. At last, the woman was left there alone, likely trembling. Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and sin no more”. At that moment we assume the sun crested over the tall temple wall and flooded the courtyard, and more importantly, the accused adulteress, with warm, piercing light. Jesus stood and announced – “I am the light of the world: he who follows me shall never walk in darkness but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12). Now, to cast some light on that one, true Light Source…
1. First, note the Light of Connection The light of Christ was not borrowed light. The smoker asks his buddy, “Hey, can you give me a light”, because he has no matches of his own. Even I as a seasoned minister must listen to radio programs and CD-albums and such to increase my degree of light. If my lamp is not plugged in there is no light, even if I just screwed in a brand-new bulb. Earthly instruments require connection to a Source. “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). Christ’s divinity is beyond debate. If God is light,“and in Him”, Jesus, is light, then the two are of the same essence.No other has self-existent light. The lamp on my desk requires an electrical plug. But Christ is light, in and of Himself. The lesser lamps on the Tabernacle Menorah were lit and given light by the center lamp’s flame. Because Christ is the Light of the world, His people “shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15), through our connection with the Source.
2. Second, the Light of Inspection Light and truth are synonyms. Light doesn’t simply expose truth, light is what it is, just as Jehovah God declared, “I AM THAT I AM”. The Creator did not say, “Let light shine”, but rather, “Light, be!” With the Father of lights there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Light is not subject to change or amendment. Light is not moody. Climate changes, even seasons change, but the problem stems from earth’s orbit, not solar mood swings. We may see some aspect of scripture or life “in a different light” but the light did not change, our reference point changed. So, Jesus, the Light of the World, brings things out into the open. Whatever lives under the rock scatters once the rock is lifted and light invades its canopy. In the incarnation of Christ, “light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” (John 3:19). To walk in the light and reflect the light we must come to the light. A housekeeper can get by with a lot less work by installing 40-watt bulbs in all the lamps. No one will know the difference. But screw in a 300-watt bulb and every smudge, fingerprint and particle of dust becomes glaringly visible.
3. Third, the Light of Direction Jesus never diverged in any point from the Word because He is the Word. There is the literal word, Christ, and the literary word, your Bible, but both are one and the same. What the Bible says is what Jesus is. “Your word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105). A lamp spreads light nearby your feet. A light, or a beam, shines directionally to illuminate what
Jesus
never diverged in any point from the Word because He is the Word. There is the literal word, Christ, and the literary word, your Bible, but both are one and the same. What the Bible says is what Jesus is. “Your word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105). lies ahead. The Light of the world shows us what is and what will be. And as a taillight, or we could say hindsight, Christ reminds of what has already been. He was and is and is to come. Light, then, declares the eternality, unchangeableness and divinity of Jesus Christ. I think of Jesus, and His word, as a headlight, showing me where to go. Whether a headlamp on a miner’s hardhat, or a beacon on January/February 2019
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the front of a locomotive, light directs. As a streetlight Jesus guides our public affairs and work-life. As spotlight He illuminates specific issues that need to be dealt with. As searchlight He sends the Holy Spirit into the darkest corners of earth, seeking the lost sheep. As porchlight Christ shows the way home to the Father. One American motel chain advertises, “We’ll leave the light on for you”.
4. Fourth, the Light of Perfection
We are told to let our light shine, and if it does, we won’t need to tell anybody it does. Lighthouses don’t fire cannons to call attention to their shining-they just shine. Dwight L. Moody
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“The light of the body is the eye: if therefore your eye be single, your whole body will be full of light” (Matthew 6:22). Fog produce partial visibility. At the first healing touch, the blind man “saw men as trees walking”. But there is no impairment or frustration in Light. Jesus saw all men clearly, and by His light all human blindness is remedied. Satan was unable to obscure Christ’s brilliance in any way. Darkness fled at His entrance. Light shown through His clothing on the Mount, because it was not manufactured, it was inner, and it was intense. Concentrated light, laser light, can cut through any and every obstacle. Denominationally, this group or that thinks they have the true light – “And you are confident that you are a guide to the blind, a light to them who are in darkness” (Romans 2:19). But we make a huge mistake in thinking we have arrived. Solomon wisely said – “But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shines more and more unto the perfect day” (Proverbs 4:18). We are coming to the light, but the brilliance within the Holy of Holies is too blinding for anyone to rush into. Saul of Tarsus learned that on the Road to Damascus. Eyes must adjust to the light. Meet Jesus, Know Jesus. Fellowship with Jesus. Love and trust Jesus. He is not an alternate, or one of many ways. He is “the true Light, who enlightens every man that comes into the world” (John 1:9). Now, plug in to the Source.
renewing and enriching life
Dr. K. P. Sam Faculty, India Bible College and Seminary, Kumbanad
Light and The word of God God is the source of life and light. Creation account depicts that God created the heavens and the earth. When the earth became null and void and the darkness was over the surface of the deep, God continues to intervene in the creation. God said, let there be light there was light. God separated the light from the darkness (Gen.1: 2, 3). Then the history of the Bible speaks that the earth became useful to the mankind after the separation of light and darkness. The progressive revelation of light is visible in the history through different ways. John the apostle introduces that Jesus as the source of Light who is the incarnation of the word of God (Jn.1:1). Further, he speaks that the light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it. The revelation of God through the history is manifested in the word of God. Bible is the open heart of the loving and unchanging God.
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Bible portrays that God is same yesterday, today and forever. Therefore the word of God also is unchangeable. Weightage of the word of God is equal to God the creator and sustainer. As the work of the light is to sustain the life which was given by God, in the same way the word of God also sustains those who got life through Jesus Christ.
Scripture
is living and active and provides life and light. Scripture enlightens to the total life. People can approach Bible with different outlook. Bible can be studied intellectually, which increase our knowledge. But the study of scripture with the guidance of Holy Spirit helps to experience the life of the word. There are many passages that speak about the work of the word of God. The word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit of both joints and marrow and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart ( Heb.4: 11). This passage presents the in-depth influence of the word of God that works in the entire life of each person. In human way physicians can be source in cure of the body, psychologists can read
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the mind of the people and help their soul, the ministers of God can help to develop the insights of the spirit. In the same way the integrated work of the three offices which mentioned above can be done through the word of God. Therefore nothing is equal to the work of the word of God in sustaining and brightening the life of human being. The writer of the book of Hebrews says about the power and the work of the scripture which discerns and judges the people. Discernment of the word of God works in everyday life. Jesus Christ said, sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth (Jn.17:17). We are sanctified with the blood of Jesus Christ and being cleansed with the word of God. This text further speaks about the influence of the word in our day to day life. The word of God is portrayed as mirror in the book of James (1:23, 24). The primary purpose of a mirror is to see ourselves, through which one may get confidence and satisfaction, and will become aware of the limitation and the areas to be corrected. This symbolic representation brings light to understand the power of the scripture in terms of introspection and retrospection as it provides energy for transformation in Christian life. Unlike the mirror, the power of the scripture is unique as it helps us to see ourselves and Jesus Christ who is the author and perfector of faith. Thereby the parameter of Christian living is becoming Jesus Himself. In addition while James speaks about the practice of faith, he emphasizes the importance and work of the scripture. It is a common phenomenon that people compare them with others and take self-satisfaction. But Christian has to examine their life with the life of Christ who is the model of life (1 Pet.2:21, Mt.5:48). Indeed it is the fact that the word has the power to discern and judge our life. The meaning of the word judgment is settling an account with the creator and the creation. It can be understood in two ways. One is about our present life that means the judgment of the word of God happens every day. It is evident in the writings of John that one who believes in Him is not judged (Joh 3:18). Further John talks about the reason of present judgment, the light has come into the world, and the men loved the darkness rather than the light (Joh 3:19). As per this statement the present judgment is based on those who believe and not believe. Second meaning focuses on the futuristic judgment. Paul explains in the letter to the Romans that God will judge the secrets of men according to gospel (Rom.2:14, 16). God will judge the mankind according to the Law, the consciousness and the word of God. Therefore those who believe in Jesus Christ are relieved from the future judgment. The word of God works in the heart of the people irrespective of cast, gender, colour, creed …etc. Scripture is living and active and provides life and light. Scripture enlightens to the total life. People can approach Bible with different outlook. Bible can be studied intellectually, which increase our knowledge. But the study of scripture with the guidance of Holy Spirit helps to experience the life of the word. There are many passages speaks about the influence of scripture in the life of each individuals. Scripture makes us wise to accept God’ salvation (2 Tim.3:15), God’s word teach us what is right and wrong in our life. The word keeps people away from sin (Ps.119:11) and failures. The Bible has much to provide in our life. Word comforts (119:50), word keeps from stumbling (119:105), become the source of peace (119:165) and abundance of life. There is no book equal to Bible which provides light to mankind from rebirth to death or till the second coming of Christ. Bible sheds light to the path and makes the path straight. Paul charged Timothy to preach the word (2 Tim 4:2). This is a command to all ministers in all generations. Romans chapter 15:4 -5 explains about the work of the scripture that to teach us patients, comfort us, help to be steadfast in faith and have hope. Such experience should happen even in the hearing of the word of God. A genuine reader of the Bible experiences the feeling of joy, as he/she obey and meditate the word. GPS or Google Map provides road map on the face of the earth. But Bible is the
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only map which provides the road map to live in this world and the world to come. In another words, Word of God is the true light which is useful to the life on earth and life after death. To sum up the word of God provides hopes and aspirations of human beings in every generation. It carries with in an intrinsic potential of power and authority. Isaiah affirms the power of the word "so shall my word ....it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose and succeed in the thing for which I send it" (Isiah.55:11). The enormous potential and power imbued in God's word is benefited for humanity only when humans make the best use of it. Word of God offers several solutions for the dilemmas and bafflements of this human Life. In addition, it also offers a hope that can carry on beyond this life. It offers the gift of the peace of God that passes all understanding. The relevance of Biblical teaching transcends all the
fleeting changes of centuries. It never gets out of date. The pages of the Bible are an assurance of a solution that offers true fulfillment and peace. The divine and transforming intervention of the word of God in human nature is the greatest miracle in the human history. Thus the Bible is a light to the humanity as it directs, guides, empowers and transforms.
Amy Carmichael (1867–1951)
Missionary to India / Founder of Dohnavur Fellowship
T
he oldest of seven children, Amy Carmichael was born on December 16, 1867, in Millisle, Northern Ireland, to devout Presbyterian parents. When her father died in 1885, she was adopted and tutored by Robert Wilson, founder of the Keswick Convention. As a child Amy was considered tomboyish and poetic. She never married. After hearing Hudson Taylor speak at the Keswick Convention in 1887 about missionary life, Amy was convinced her life’s calling was to the mission field. Despite a nerve disease and severe weakness in her body that often required complete bed rest, Amy was committed to her calling. In 1892, after hearing the words, “Go ye,” Amy fully believed she was ready to serve in the mission field; but the China Inland Mission rejected her as a missionary because of her physical frailty. Regardless of the report, Robert Wilson sent her to Japan as a Keswick missionary. Within that first year, Amy’s health problems worsened. During times of great physical weakness, when she felt like a failure as missionary, Amy reminded dedicated to her calling. Commissioned by the Church of England’s Zenana Missionary Society in 1895, she arrived in India, where she found her lifelong vocation and remained for fifty-six years. She was dedicated to saving many young women from forced prostitution. She also founded Dohnavur Fellowship in Tamil Naduto, a sanctuary and rescue mission for hopeless, suffering children. Selflessness, commitment, and an example of one whose sole existence was devoted to her beloved Lord and Savior were the marks of Amy Carmichael’s life. Fact: A prolific writer, Amy Carmichael produced thirty-five published books including His Thoughts Said…His Father Said (1951), If (1953), and Edges of His Ways (1955). In the year 1867… Nebraska became the thirty-seventh state of the United States. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels published the first of three volumes of Das Kapital. Emperor Meiji took power in Japan.
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Pastor Dr. K.G. Jose Bible teacher, preacher, Pastor
LET THERE BE
LIGHT
The General Understanding of Light in the Bible
Light denotes
a relation, not a being, “The Lord is my light” (Pss 27:1). Light is a term for life in the absolute sense, not a mere existence. Light is salvation. To see light is to live. Part of salvation is to be in the light. Light is self-understanding and freedom from care. God breaks light when He wills, sending darkness on Egypt. Light is the shining of God’s countenance (Pss 44:3; Nu6:25. Is 45:7). God created light and darkness, salvation and destruction. Creation of light is the first salvific act. Nothing of creation before light. Light is created before sun and stars. Without light no creation; only light brings out the contours of things hovering in darkness. Heavenly bodies were created after the light. Night is a remnant of the darkness of chaos, but light is from creation. Darkness is not made but restrained.
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Light and Creation The first word uttered on this earth is “let there be light”. Since the universe began in God’s purpose, all existence can be viewed not tragically, but with trust and faith because this world is clear plan and creation of our Father. Life on this earth began in goodness, humanity can go forward into it with courage and expectation. It is our bold affirmation that God made us and the world around for us. God can work together whatever is best for us. Life began with Word of God, continues by the Word of God. The purpose of creation is to let me live and grow in an environment that is controlled by Almighty God. If we can trust that life on earth began in goodness, evil in the world is not fate but a contradiction to God’s noble purpose and therefore, can be redeemed. As creation has a beginning in God, so there can be new beginnings from the same God for our continuity and blessing on this earth. In the beginning denotes a dateless date, is God. God created, causing to be, energy causes to be. The Divine Intelligence is the cause; blind force does not create anything. Force needs intelligence to create, and the mastery of volition. Thus there is energy, intelligence and will behind the creation. The day is called for the duration of light. The Spirit of the Lord brooded over the chaotic state. God is orderly and full of beauty, has the heart of motherhood. Thus earth is a distinct creation of God. God created the earth not as a waste. “God said” is repeated 9 times, and after each saying things happened. Creation is not a finished story. As there was the beginning in God, there can be new beginnings. What we read in Genesis is Primary Creation and what God continues to do is secondary creation, which is, providence. The universe was made to fit together and to have meaning. It is our confidence that God made us and the world we live in. Therefore as long as I am faithful, I need have no fear of the circumstances. God can make conditions work together to finish whatever is the best that He means to create in us. Whatever is waste and void His Spirit moves creatively according to a holy purpose which nothing can be strong enough to turn aside. When life seems empty within, darkness seems to descent, but remember, the brooding Spirit has not vanished from us. There is a fairer world without darkness. In the beginning is not the beginning of God. It is not the beginning of everything. It is the beginning of time and of our history. In Hebrew it is an initial period of time, than a point in time (Jer 28:1).
Light and Spirit The Spirit of the Lord began brooding over a chaos, nothingness. The status of the earth before creation was disorder, useless and waste. When the people of Israel could not follow the guidance of the Lord in the wilderness 40 years of life in wilderness was wasted (Deut 32:10; Jer 4:23-26). The status of the earth was empty, dark, barren, awaiting God’s call to light and life. Light is God’s first blessing; so the prophets and apostles mark the beginning of a future new age of salvation with the light that pierces the nighttime (Isa 8:22-9:2). Future Messianic Salvation will be marked by a flowering of the desert into a fruitful land (Isa 35:1-2). The wilderness awaits blessings of God. Hence those waiting in the wilderness heard the Word of the Lord (Mt 4:4). The world will return to the original light without sun, moon and stars: “The sun shall no more serve as thy light by day, neither for brightness shall the moon give light to thee. For Yahweh shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory” (Isa 60:19). The verb create occurs 48 times in OT, always God as subject and therefore ‘create’ is a divine activity. What is the action of God-“Let there be light”! Divine utterance is action. Bara, the Hebrew word for creation never occurs in context where raw materials are mentioned. Creation of God is not mere manufacture of matter but in fixing destinies. Nothing existed before creation; it was an empty earth. Raging waters and darkness are chaotic. There is nothing sinister or menacing about this chaos in Genesis; it is simply the indication that God has not yet done His work. Spirit of God is
disrupting the power of chaos. Israel understood Spirit of God as an extension of God’s power, not a separate entity. The Spirit of God empowers but does not indwell; the Spirit of God gives authority. In the NT the Spirit of God indwell in believers and does creative work in them. The Spirit of God regenerate Saul with a new heart. Indwelling HG guided Simeon to come to the temple to see the Messiah (Luke 2:26-27). Brooding is the work of mother bird in protecting and making their nest fit for the young ones (Deut 32:11). As God
Creation
is not a finished story. As there was the beginning in God, there can be new beginnings. What we read in Genesis is Primary Creation and what God continues to do is secondary creation, which is, providence. did His work of creation by the Spirit of God, so Israel was to do their mission and work by means of HG. Work of HG is historically coequal with the work of creation. The Divine Being who inspired the Bible appears upon its first page, a mystic center of light and beauty in the midst of a universe of darkness. By the fatal shock received in Eden, the whole system has been disorganized. HG alone can rectify the deep disorders of our nature. The material chaos is but a faint image of spiritual chaos. January/February 2019
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Light and Word
Word and light
In OT the burden of the text is to convince the Israelites that there was only one God. Since they were having enough trouble in their cultural environment, God did not confuse them with Trinitarian elaboration. Christ thee second person in Trinity is always a mystery in OT, is the Word spoken here. Creation of the world by Word (Hebrew Dabar) in the OT is logos in the NT.
Darkness is well established; light is struggling, but God brings light without struggle. Light is always a conquest of darkness. Arrival of light is salvation. There is a decisive divine action behind it for the welfare of His creation. It is not for light that God called day, but the period of light. Let there be a period of light. On day one, God created time. This is the first of the functions God will use to bring order to the chaos of the cosmos: the orderly and regular sequence of time. This light was without sun. Israelites view sun as a source of heat and a source of light, but not as the source of light. God saw that it was good; He took pleasure in it. May we not learn a lesson here, to pause after our daily toil, to inspect and review its worth? Every act of life should be followed by contemplation. No doubt darkness and light here began their quarrel. At flood God no longer saw that it was good, but saw how great wickedness (Gen 6:5). The good is that which is beneficial for humanity; in the second day, nothing good recorded as on that day nothing created that is good for humanity (Gen 1:6-8). We are in the conflict still. The moment we become Christian we begin our fight. As soon as we become Christian, no more rest. When He gives light, the believer begins to separate himself from darkness. Light is eminently good, for the Lord spent a whole day in creating and arranging it. God gave it a front rank by occupying the first day of creations week upon it. The Lord quickly discerns all the goodness and beauty which exists in what He creates. Darkness never did become light. Darkness must give place when God speaks. Gospel light is good as Jesus said “blessed are thee eyes which see the things you see”. Light is one of the best gifts of God. It is inexpensive. We pay for the light produced by human effort. Humanity has limitations, God has none. Light is extensive; it floods the universe. It is an emblem of eternal light. Light God created was not so fierce as to injure humanity; neither was weak as to be ineffectual. Its darkness was to make him feel of the need of His protection. Light essential for all life. The best medicine is heliopathy for health (Mal 4:2). Pagan religions ascribe divinity to sun, moon and stars. Marduk is the sun god of Babylonians. Bible emphasizes light as the gift of God’s goodness. Thus “unto the upright there arises light in darkness” (Pss 112:4). Thus not only the sunny but the shadowed side of life is made the realm of faith. Life has its beautiful and blessed rhythm. There is a time for action, the day and a time to rest, the night. Religion can have no partnership with laziness. What you do in your house is worth as much as if you did it up in Heaven for our Lord; even the lowly employment should be praised as a service of God. Religion is not to be a hectic activity without meditation. There must be a time to be quiet and receive from God. God who blessed the day has also blessed the night. He gave it for the kind of rest that genuinely restores our body, mind and soul. Coming in at the end of the day is coming to God.
Light
is one of the best gifts of God. It is inexpensive. We pay for the light produced by human effort. Humanity has limitations, God has none. Light is extensive; it floods the universe. It is an emblem of eternal light.
Light came into existence by the Word of God. Word created the world; Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We are also born by the Word. The Word will complete the world. Light from Word of God. Word created the world; Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We are also born by the Word. The Word will complete the world. The term “let there be” is the verbal form of the word the noun Yahweh. Apostle Paul emphasizes that “by him were all things created….” (Col 1:16-17).
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Conclusion Paul tells us that God the Holy Spirit, who first illumined the dark world of matter, still illuminates the dark world of mind. All ismidnight in the heart, mind, and soul of a sinner, until He, the Light of life, say, Let there be light. Earth was without form and void, similarly, the heart too without grace; the HG moves in His creative, enlightening energy. It was good because adapted to the purpose contemplated by it. The light ever active would rebuke indolence. In this light man was to order his moral conduct. Jesus said, “I am the Light of the world”. The whole world shall finally enjoy His saving rays. Light is latent in God’s saintly children (Jn8:12). There is an eternal day for the sons of light, and eternal night for the sons of darkness. Light is pure. Its property repels defilement. It traverses unstained each medium of uncleanness. Light is lovely; beauty cannot live without it. God shines in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in Christ. The Church is now the light in the world; every child of God is light; every minister is spreading light of Christ.
renewing and enriching life
Dr. Shaibu Abraham Faculty, India Bible College & Seminary, Kumbanad
Light that Shines in the Darkness:
A Biblical Theology of Light The Bible contains manifold imagery of light, both literally and figuratively. At the beginning of the biblical narrative, physical light springs forth as the first created
thing (Gen 1:3-4). At the end, the light of God eliminates all traces of darkness: “And night shall be no more; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light� (Rev. 22:5). Between these two instances, the imagery of light appears many times as a major symbol in the Bible with its theology. In the following pages we shall look into the theology of light in the Bible and its implications to Christians who live a world which hurtling towards more darkness. Before doing this, let us also have a glimpse of how some of the ancient civilizations and philosophies envisioned light. January/February 2019
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1. The Concept of Light in Ancient Civilizations The themes of light and its opposite, darkness, have been used in many cultures, civilizations and by people groups throughout history to describe the two basic contrary philosophical and theological principles of reality. Primitive thinking begins by dividing reality into a dichotomy between
In the
Greek world, the early usage of light denoted the sphere of ethical good, whereas misdeeds are said to take place in darkness. There was a connection between the notion of sin and the image of darkness, and the notion of redemption and salvation from evil and the image of the light.
light and darkness, viewed as combatants in a perpetual battle for dominance. When light dawns, chaos is averted. For instance, in Mesopotamian Zoroastrianism and its Gnostic successor Manicheanism, there were two gods: Ahurimazda, the good god of light, and Ahriman, the evil god of darkness. These two were locked in a constantly repetitive wrestling match, paralleling the
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seemingly endless cycle of night and day. The devotees of these religions hoped that when death came the god of light would take them to his resplendent realm. In the Greek world, the early usage of light denoted the sphere of ethical good, whereas misdeeds are said to take place in darkness. There was a connection between the notion of sin and the image of darkness, and the notion of redemption and salvation from evil and the image of the light. Plato's comparison of the idea of the good with sunlight is deeply significant. In Gnosticism there is essential difference between light and darkness which stood against each other as hostile powers. Human beings by nature is in darkness and needs to liberate the elements of light within their own souls, and free them from earthly matter so that they may be re-united with the supernatural world. Moreover, in this thought, light and life are inseparably connected; light is the matter of the other world and whoever is willing to receive it imports divine powers. In the Hindu philosophical system of thought, the famous prayer of the Upanishad, Asatoma sat Gamaya, Thamasoma jyothir gamaya, Mruthyoma amrutham gamaya, (lead me from falsehood to truth, darkness to light and death to eternal life) depicts light as eternal life. Now let us turn our attention to the Bible to see what is the theology of light.
2. Theology of Light in the Bible The Bible begins with the declaration of God’s creation of light, “And God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good” (Gen 1:3–4). Here light springs up from nonexistence, piercing into darkness and chaos with its illuminating power. Similarly, the Bible also signals the close connection of light with life in its pages. The apostle Paul compares this life-giving instance of the primal creation of physical light with life-transforming experience of conversion: “For it is God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ” (2 Cor 4:6). The Hebrew thought uses light as a symbol of the divine presence and salvation (Ex 13:21; Ps 27:1; 36:9; Is 60:19), often of the future eschatological salvation (Mic 7:8; Is 2:5; 9:2; 58:8, 10; 60:1–3).
2.1. God: The Source of Light In the Old Testament there are frequent references of light as an attribute of God. His nearness and presence are indicated by light (Exod. l3:21f.; Neh. 9:12; Dan. 2:22), "the light dwells with him" (Hab. 3:4), "his brightness was like the light" (Isa. 60:19f.). In particular his countenance is said to be the origin of the light proceeding from him (Ps. 4:6; 44:3; 89:15). Elsewhere God is simply associated with light as an image of divine glory: he covers himself “with light as with a garment” (Ps 104:2). Most notable among the lights that represents God was the "Shekinah", the glory of God in the temple. This was not ordinary physical light, but it was visible in the form of a luminous cloud that filled holy space. When Solomon dedicated the temple, it “was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled the house of God” (2 Chron 5:13–14). This is similar to the glorious cloud that settled on Mount Sinai when Moses ascended to receive the law from God (Ex 24:15–18), after which "the skin of Moses face shone because he had been talking with God" (Ex 34:29). It is to be noted that the light emitting from God is intertwined with the glory of God which is the symbol of divine transcendence. It combines awe and terror, and it simultaneously invites approach and distance. When Moses encounters the glory of God on Mt. Sinai, the visible manifestation is a cloud that covers the mountain with brilliance “like a devouring fire” (Ex 24:16–17). When Moses requests to see God’s glory, it is so intense that God has to shield him from the full effect (Ex 33:18–23). When Isaiah and Ezekiel individually encounter the glory of God in a vision, their response is to feel small and unworthy (Is 6:5; Ezek 1:28). Ezekiel’s vision of the divine
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chariot (Ezek 1) is a riot of brightness, flashing fire, shining jewels and gleaming metals. Light also symbolizes God, in 1 John 1:5: “God is light and in him is no darkness at all”. James speaks of God as “the Father of lights” (Jas 1:17). The classic passage is 1 Timothy 6:16, which speaks of God as the one “who alone has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light”.
2.2 Jesus: The Light that Shines in the Darkness The coming of Jesus is viewed by Matthew (4:16) and Luke (2:32) as the fulfillment of God’s covenant with Israel through which not only Israel would be enlightened but also the Gentiles (Is. 42:7). Isaiah’s prophecy predicted, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined” (Is 9:2). Evangelist Matthew applied this prophecy to Jesus representing him as the Messiah who is the symbol of light of God (Mt 4:15–16). The song of Simeon calls Christ “a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel” (Lk 2:32). At the nativity of Jesus, light accompanies the appearance of the angels to the shepherds (Lk 2:9), and a star lights the way of the Magi to the house where they find Jesus (Mt 2:9–10). Paul calls Jesus “the Lord of glory” (1 Cor 2:8) and speaks of “the glory of God in the face of Christ” (2 Cor 4:6). 2.2.1 Jesus the Light of the World: The Johannine Theology of Light Light is a primary symbol in John’s Gospel. The Johannine prologue links logos (word), life, and light so powerfully that the cluster dominates the symbolic system of the entire narrative. The logos incarnate in Jesus is ‘the life that was the light of men’ (1:4) and where there is light there is life. John’s theology of light was developed in the debate with the synagogue about the identity and significance of Jesus. John took up the symbol of light from Judaism, to refer God’s presence, salvation, the Law, Wisdom and Logos, in order to epitomize the person and work of Jesus. By so doing, the evangelist implies that the expectations and hopes of Judaism are fulfilled in Jesus. Moreover, according to John, Christ who is the life of humankind is the only remedy for human beings who by nature are in darkness (1 :4; cf. 8:12). And it was through this word of life that light (revelation) came to humankind. The revelation (light) brought through the communication of this word of life brings both salvation and judgment (Jn 3:19–21). John also describes God’s gracious act of creation as light shining into darkness, and darkness as unable to counter such divine activity. Evil people are described as lovers of darkness rather than light (John 3:19). Indeed, those who lie and hate walk in darkness and are like blind people (1 John 1:6; 2:9–11). It is John who particularly portrays Jesus Christ as light breaking in upon the darkness of the world. John the Baptist is called a witness to the light, though the difference between him and the light itself is made very clear (Jn. 1:6 ff.; 5:35 f.). "The true light that enlightens every man" came into the world in the person of Jesus Christ. In the "I am" sayings John portrays Jesus as the light of the World and also indicates its relevance for the world: "I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" (8:12; cf. 9:5; 12:46). The light designates the nature of Jesus directly. He is not like a light; but he is "the light". Moreover, all persons must receive their light from Jesus the “true light” (1:9; cf. 8:12) in order to become “the children of light” (12:36). Light is pressed into service to express various other aspects of Johannine theology: revelation, sin, faith, judgment and ethics. The light invades the darkness to reveal God’s salvation (1:5; 3:19; 8:12; 12:35, 46). This darkness is of two kinds: that which prevails before the light comes (1:5; 8:12; 12:46) and that which descends on those who have refused the light and have chosen to live in darkness (3:19–20). This expresses the Johannine understanding of sin. On the other hand, to believe in the light (12:36, 46) denotes Christian faith. Light and darkness also function as pointer to human character, such as in the cases of Nicodemus (3:20), the Jews
(9:40; 11:10) and Judas (13:30). Johannine ethics is expressed in terms of walking in the light (8:12; 12:35), which means keeping Jesus’ commandment to love one another.
3. The Disciples of Jesus: The Community of Light In Christ’s great discourse on himself as the light of the world, those who follow Christ are defined as people who “will not walk in darkness, but will have
Light
is a primary symbol in John’s Gospel. The Johannine prologue links logos (word), life, and light so powerfully that the cluster dominates the symbolic system of the entire narrative. The logos incarnate in Jesus is ‘the life that was the light of men’ (1:4) and where there is light there is life. the light of life” (Jn 8:12). These themes of light and darkness are further developed by the NT writers. They obviously distinguish people and activities aligned with God from those opposed to God and aligned with Satan and the demonic. In Ephesians, readers are summoned to wake up (Eph 5:14), and to walk as children of light (Eph 5:8). Bearing the fruit of light January/February 2019
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such as goodness, righteousness and truth which is contrasted with the unfruitful works of darkness (Eph 5:7–11) and disobedience (Eph 5:6). These dark works may seem to be hidden now but the light of Christ exposes their dead nature and makes the character of human action visible. “When
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Martin Luther King Jr.
anything is exposed by the light it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it is said, ‘Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light’” (Eph 5:13–14). Similarly, according to 1 Peter 2:9, believers are those who have been called “out of darkness into his marvelous light”. Those who have been delivered “from the dominion of darkness” and transferred “to the kingdom of his beloved Son” (Col 1:13) are thus strongly associated with light. The implied message is clear: if God is light, to come to God is to come to the light and to receive life. In the New Testament the sanctified life is repeatedly associated with light. In the famous passage on holy living that concludes the epistle to the Romans, believers are commanded to "cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light" (Rom 13:12). Ephesians 5:8-9 also emphasizes the same fact: "Once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light". It is necessary to walk according to the light, since Christians bear a missionary responsibility for the world, a responsibility which they can only meet by "shining as lights in a dark world" (Phil 2:15). Moreover, Paul instructs believers to live in anticipation of the end time as the motivation for life; not as those who sleep, as in a moral stupor, but as those who are awake (Rom 13:11; 1 Thess 5:2–6). After painting a composite portrait of the ideal disciple in his beatitudes, Jesus also added, “You are the light of the world.… Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Mt 5:14, 16). Therefore, it is precise to view the church as portrayed in the NT Epistles as the possessor and giver of light. As an apostle, Paul was sent by God to the Gentiles “to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light” (Acts 26:18). This light is not only part of the church’s evangelistic proclamation but also characterizes life within the church: “If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 Jn 1:7). Let us summarise our discussion here; God is light and he is the source of all the perfect gifts that symbolise light (Jam. 1:17). Jesus is the light of the world and all who come to him will be lighted. To walk in the light means keeping Jesus’ commandment to love one another. The disciples of Jesus are the light or light-bearers (Matt. 5:14,16), therefore it is our duty to pass on the divine light to others. As emissaries of Christ, we are to shine out into the world, not with our own light but with the very light of Jesus himself.
Just One Minute and make it make it actually serve God’s eternal purposes. Judas continued to live in his own light, as if he were a god. As his own god, Judas judged himself for his failure and condemned himself to death. What a needlessly high price he made himself pay for ignoring the redemptive Light that he had witnessed again and again in Jesus’ ministry! Jesus invites and warns us at the same time when He says, “While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light.” We
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have the Light now, but if we ignore the Light, we will not always have Him. If we continually look to our own light, darkness will overtake us, and he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes. The Light of God is found in the Word of God through the Spirit of God. Learning to follow the light is impossible for people like us with sinful tendencies to wander-unless we depend solely upon the Holy Spirit to help us as He speaks to us through His Word. May that be our constant aim! Let us remember that in the end, it is not we who possess the Light, but the Light Who possesses us. This is the ultimate message of the Good News, and let us make sure that others see signs of the Light in us so they will yearn to follow Him. *** Father God, thank you for sending your Son Jesus Christ into the world to give light and save me from the darkness of sin in myself. I thank you for saving me. Enable me to love your light above all else, and to become your light in a world that continues to wander in darkness. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
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Counse ing Corner Pastor Saju Joseph
problem of decision making Joby: Sir, in my family life and vocation I go through situations when I have to take important decisions. It is really a trying time for me before I make a final choice in vital matters. I often postpone making decisions. Would you please help me in my dilemma? Dear Joby, as an important person in your family and in your work place many look up to you as a leader. Therefore, your decisions are very crucial. some reasons why people hesitate or procrastinate decision making... 1. Fear of committing mistake and bearing its consequences for oneself and others. 2. Fear of disappointing others or hurting them. 3. Fear of being immature or not being adequately informed to take a decision. 4. Feeling that once you are stuck with the decision made. 5. Desire to avoid risks or responsibility. Some of the hardest decisions in our life involve other people. For example, committing to or ending a relationship, moving away or going to a school, wanting to engage in activities apart from your partner, and saying no to someone etc. This is particularly difficult if you have lived your life attempting to avoid conflict and make everyone else happy. These dynamics often have roots in early experiences that are still controlling your life. The following insights will help you in your decision making: The context in every situation on may vary. Make a list of pros and cons of each decision and come to a timely conclusion on the basis of the sum of the pros and cons. Common good is to be given preference over individual good in taking decisions. No decisions are carved in stone. We can often re-evaluate our options when the
situation changes. Human beings are fallible. We may commit mistakes. No one makes the right decision every time. One has to understand that mistakes don’t mean that you have lost, but that you have learned something new. Even if there as a mistake in decision making you are not inferior, rather you are an attempter. Think about the negative consequences to yourself and others close to you there is delay
A person
who believes in God, continues praying and meditating His word can experience the guidance of the Holy Spirit in any decision in life. in desicion making. Readiness to take risks or responsibility on oneself in decision making proves the leadership ability of a person. A person who believes in God, continues praying and meditating His word can experience the guidance of the Holy Spirit in any decision in life. Such people will not be disappointed at all whatever be the consequences of their decisions ! January/February 2019
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QUIZ–69
Answers for Quiz - 68
LATE-NIGHT CALLERS
Spreading a Feast
1. Who came to Peter late at night and released him from prison? 2. Who led some officers of the chief priests to pay a latenight call on Jesus? 3. What Pharisee came to Jesus late at night? 4. Who met a man with whom he engaged in an all-night wrestling match? 5. Who came through Egypt on a late-night visit to almost everyhousehold? 6. Where did shepherds receive angels as late visitors? 7. Who took Saul's spear after sneaking into his camp late onenight? 8. Who visited a medium at night? 9. Who attacked a Midianite camp late at night? 10. Who paid the young Samuel a late-night call?
The ABC of becoming a Christian
Admit that you are in
need of someone to save you from guilt, shame and bondage or addictions. Admit that you have violated God’s Laws.
1. Belshazzar (Daniel 5) 2. Abraham (Genesis 18:1–8) 3. Job’s (Job 1:13) 4. Samson (Judges 14:10–14) 5. By Lake Tiberias (John 21:1–13) 6. The flesh of people and horses (Revelation 19:17–18) 7. Emmaus (Luke 24:30) 8. Abner (2 Samuel 3:20) 9. Esther (7:1–10) 10. The prodigal son (Luke 15:23)
Believe that Jesus Christ is the
only One who is able to save you and to bring deliverence and offer forgiveness of sins. Believe that Jesus is the only One to conquer death and is the risen Saviour.
Confess with your
mouth that Jesus is your Lord and submit to His rulership in your life.
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